Author(s): Edmond Walsh

Presentation: oral

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 saw the end of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and the rise of Fidel Castro who sought to establish an independent socialist nation. In order to create a sustainable society and economy in Cuba, Castro evaluated the position that women were to play in the new state. By analyzing the public addresses of Castro regarding women and family policy during the initial and expansive phases of the Revolution between 1959 and 1975, I argue that Castro attempted to reorder gender roles and rights, however, maintained that women remain in their traditional and domestic roles. Citing first-hand accounts of Castro and women in Cuba at the time, a consistent pattern was established where positions and resources were allocated to men in leadership positions. Castro still relied on socialist paternal gender roles in prescribing a woman’s role within the new economy that would be built around the production sector. This essay will argue that Castro’s interpretation of the “natural” woman did not reserve her a spot in the new leadership of Cuba, but rather solidified her role as a domestic worker and extended this role to production industries in order to build Castro’s socialist state.

The College of Idaho     2112 Cleveland Blvd Caldwell, ID  8360     USA 208-459-5011    800-2C-IDAHO